It has more humor and sympathy to it than sentiment. The story itself still feels surprisingly fresh, despite the period details. It’s a little like the death scene in Romeo & Juliet, but without the tragedy. In an interview with Open Culture, Bisker praised the O. (Spoiler for the handful of people unfamiliar with this tale: he does the same, thus negating the utility of both costly presents.) It’s just a token of how much you mean to me. You see that package waiting underneath the tree? Let you believe with me we’re really not so poor. I want to give you something that I can’t afford, It’s an appropriate choice for a young bride who parts with her most valuable asset, in order to give her cherished husband a “worthy” gift:
Henry’s enduring short story, “ The Gift of the Magi.”Īccompanying herself on ukulele as she performs under her parlor rock pseudonym, Sweet Soubrette, Bisker’s sound is both sunny and plaintive. It’s a difficult balance, but singer-songwriter Ellia Bisker pulls it off beautifully, above, by turning to O. More recent bids by Coldplay and Taylor Swift have failed to achieve the proper mix of hope and hopelessness. “ I’ll Be Home for Christmas” manages to ring some of those same bells.Īs a rule, the oldies are the goodies in this department. Next year we may all be living in the past Next year all our troubles will be out of sightīut the tension between the promise of a better tomorrow and her emotional delivery holds a place for Hughes’ appealingly dark sentiment: (Judy Garland famously stonewalled on the first version of “ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” until lyricist Hugh Martin agreed to lighten things up a bit. Relate a symbol to a central idea or theme of the story.There’s got to be some hope in the balance though, some sweetness to savor as we muddle through.What are some symbols in "The Gift of the Magi?" Is it telling that Jim gives up something material that can't be reclaimed while Della gives up something that will regrow?.How could the story be updated to be more contemporary without losing its central lessons of love and sacrifice? Henry uses in "The Gift of the Magi" seems a bit outdated, particularly his descriptions of Della and references to salary and prices in 1905. Why do we spend so much time getting to know Della in the story, while Jim is introduced only near the very end? Is her perspective more or less important than his?.List a metaphor or comparison in the story.What are some conflicts in the story? Are they internal or external?.What are some central ideas or themes of the story?.What is important about the title? Does it suggest that the story has a religious lesson, or just that Christmas will figure into the plot somehow?.
'The Gift of the Magi' Discussion Questions
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